How important is sexual isolation to speciation?
Abstract
A central role for sexual isolation in the formation of new species and establishment of species boundaries has been noticed since Darwin and is frequently emphasized in the modern literature on speciation. However, an objective evaluation of when and how sexual isolation plays a role in speciation has been carried out in few taxa. We discuss three approaches for assessing the importance of sexual isolation relative to other reproductive barriers, including the relative evolutionary rate of sexual trait differentiation, the relative strength of sexual isolation in sympatry, and the role of sexual isolation in the long-term persistence of diverging forms. First, we evaluate evidence as to whether sexual isolation evolves faster than other reproductive barriers during the early stages of divergence. Second, we discuss available evidence as to whether sexual isolation is as strong or stronger than other barriers between closely related sympatric species. Finally, we consider the effect of sexual isolation on long-term species persistence, relative to other reproductive barriers. We highlight challenges to our knowledge of and opportunities to improve upon our understanding of sexual isolation from different phases of the speciation process.
Citation
Shaw , KL , Cooney , CR , Mendelson , TC , Ritchie , MG , Roberts , NS & Yusuf , LH 2024 , ' How important is sexual isolation to speciation? ' , Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology , vol. 16 , no. 4 , a041427 . https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a041427
Publication
Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1943-0264Type
Journal item
Description
K.L.S. was supported by Cornell University and the U.S. NSF during this project. C.R.C was supported by a Natural Environment Research Council Independent Research Fellowship (NE/T01105X/1). T.C.M. is supported by U.S. NSF 2026334. M.G.R. is supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (UK, NE/V001566/1).Collections
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